By Your Side
by StarlightJoey
Summary: There is something wrong with Natsu, why is he acting like this? Is there a reason behind all his actions? One shot. I Don't own fairy tail, All rights belong to Hiro Mashima


"Natsu…" she said, reaching out for his hand, she held it gently but he just gave a grunt in response. "I'm sorry."

"Luce, it's not that simple." He finally said, shaking his head. He eyes were cast down on the bedroom floor as they sat on her bed. Normally it was his favourite place to stay but instead of jumping around her apartment he sat sullenly on the bed.

"Natsu, what do you mean it's not that simple? It wasn't even that big of a deal!" She yelled, finally fed up with the pink haired dragon slayer. She had simply gone out for dinner that night and when she had come home she saw the sulking dragon slayer sitting on her bed. She was about to give her infamous Lucy kick and scream something about breaking and entering but Natsu hadn't even given her a glance and hadn't flinched when she started scolding him. Thats how she knew he was being serious.

"Of course it is! You're supposed to….." He mumbled the second softly and then pulled her in for a hug. She hung limply in his arms, shocked at his sudden actions. When he drew away, she looked at him for a long time.

"What?" He said uncomfortably, he fidgeted in his spot, not used to the expression on her face.

She watched as a variety of emotions flashed through Natsu's eyes. Then without another word, he climbed out of her window and launched himself onto the road below. She watched him go, her head lying on the windowsill.

—Timeskip to Next day—

Still Lucy POV

"So what am I supposed to do? What did that even mean?" she moaned to her idol and one of her best friends, Mirajane. She had just finished explaining the previous night's events to the guild's bartender and was lying slumped on the bar counter. Her outfit was all crumpled and her signature pink ribbon was missing from her hair. She had been in such a hurry to see Natsu and everyone else in the guild she had still been buttoning her shirt up when she rushed out of the apartment.

Mirajane looked thoughtful and fiddled with clean milkshake glass in her hands. "So did you see him at all this morning?"

"No!" she quickly answered and covered her face in her hands. "He didn't even break into my apartment! I woke up all alone in my bed this morning." She remembered waking up and missing the warmth that accompanied Natsu. She blushed slightly, why did she miss him that much?

"Ara ara Lucy! Could it be that you like him?" Mirajane leaned across the counter, a special glint in her eye and and she could immediately feel her sweat pooling on her hairline. It was Mira's infamous matchmaking look that could make anyone fear. Some said it was even scarier than the devil's glare!

"Mira-san! It's not like that! It's just…." she waved her hands in the air frantically, trying to dissuade Mira from anymore idea's of her and Natsu or her "Nalu" couple as she and others would refer to it as. She didn't need anymore false hope or ideas like the time where she had stupidly went to him thinking it was a date when it turned out to be Natsu wanting to find the guild's embarrassing pictures.

"Just what Lucy?" The evil twinkle in Mira's eye hadn't gone out yet and she leaned further forwards to the point she was more or less face to face with her.

"It's just…." Mira's eye's widened, expectant "he's never returned my feelings." Mira's expression turned pitiful and sad as she straightened and reached for another glass to clean.

"I guess it's up to Natsu then…" Mirajane muttered.

At that exact moment, Natsu burst through the guild doors. "I'm here!" He hollered loudly, grinning. Then, his eye's met with Lucy's and he put on a more remorseful expression and headed her way.

"Hey Flame Brain!" Gray greeted. Normally at this time, Natsu would have launched himself at Gray and the two would start fighting. Then the duo would somehow drag the rest of the guild in their fight resulting in a guild brawl.

However, today it was not the case. Natsu ignored Gray's comment and continued his way to Lucy. Gray's mouth dropped open, it was unheard of of Natsu not joining in on a fight or ignoring his insults. As he saw what Natsu was so fixated on, he grinned. It was about time that the dense dragon slayer finally realised.

She watched as Natsu walked up to her, a solemn look in his eyes. When she had heard Gray's provocative comment she thought for sure that Natsu would run to him to start a fight. But to her surprise, he didn't even falter and continued on his path to her. Her jaw dropped in shock, what happened to Natsu?

Behind her, Mira looked at Natsu and Lucy and she heard wedding bells chime. She could imagine it… Lucy in a wedding dress and Natsu in a matching black suit, of course with his trademark scarf. They could have a ball and have everyone wear outfits similar to the ones worn when they had visited the castle after the Grand Magic Games and dragon attack. She started fantasising in her head but immediately turned back to the situation at hand.

Natsu approached her nervously, his heart thumping loudly in his chest, speeding up with every step he took. The beautiful blonde mage was mere steps away from him and he tried to calm his erratic heartbeat and emotions but to no avail. By the time he reached her, he felt he was sweating buckets.

Lucy stared at him and bit her lip. Dahm it! Why did he still look so attractive in her eyes? He was only wearing his normal outfit and his precious scarf but his trademark grin was missing on his face. She looked at him.

"Natsu?"

He shook out of his daze and listened to the sweet melodic voice calling his name. It was Lucy.

"Luce."

Lucy panicked inwardly, why was he saying her name like that? With no humour or childless! Perhaps he was still mad at her or maybe he had bad news for her! Was he kicking her off the team? Was she getting evicted from her apartment? Even while her inner Lucy was running around in circles, she still thought that his voice was filled with maturity that she had believed he had lacked from the moment she had met him.

He looked at her and suppressed a grin. He prided himself of being one of the few people who knew exactly what was on the blond mage's mind. When her eyes were wide, she was trying not to cry, when she stared at nothing with a glassy expression she was thinking of her mom, when she would smile softly it would mean that she was upset but not letting it affect her mood, if she flared her eyes she was frustrated about having no ideas for her novel. He knew the look on her face right now meant that she was panicking inside.

He reached out and took one of her glossy strands and twirled it around his finger. She immediately coloured, her blush staining her cheeks in red. He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear "Can we go somewhere private to talk?"

"Yes Natsu, What did you want to talk about?" Lucy asked him when they finally found some peace and quiet in one of the storage rooms in the back. It was also away from any prying eyes though Mirajane had made Lucy promise to tell her everything. He led her to a corner and she sat among the bags of flour and waited for him to speak. He sucked in a deep breath before answering.

"Lucy, I want to always be by your side." Lucy gaped at him, wondering if her ears had misheard what he had said.

"What did you say?"

"Lucy, I want to always be by your side, as more than partners." Natsu explained. As Lucy was about to interrupt him, he held out a hand to stop her, he needed to say this first.

"Whenever you are with anyone else or other guys I feel a stinging pain in my heart, I didn't really understand at all. I used to think I came into your house to stay in your comfy bed and talk to by best friend but slowly, I realised that you mean more to me than that. I realised that I break into your house because I feel soothed in your presence. I feel so comfortable and… loved around you." Natsu now turned the other way, no longer able to meet Lucy's eyes. With a blush tangible on his cheeks, he continued. "I realised that I want you to stay with me every single day, to cheer me up, to do dangerous things, to argue and brawl, to eat food and I just want you in my life forever."

"Forever" Lucy echoed. She was still shocked by Natsu's sudden proclamation. She had always been in love with the dragon slayer but he was too dense to notice. Now out of the blue, he was confessing his love for her?

"Yes forever." Natsu confirmed, he gulped, he still hadn't asked the most important question yet. "Lucy, will you be my girlfriend?"

Lucy's eyes widened in shock and she gave a grin, her tears almost spilling out of her eyes. "Yes."

Natsu immediately stretched into his trademark grin and scooped her up in his arms. Then, without another second to waste, he brought his lips against hers.

End


End file.
